Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 31, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
A Ukrainian drone attack injured two and caused a fire at the Tuapse refinery in Russia, damaging equipment and homes.
Dec 31 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone attack injured two people and sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished at the Tuapse oil refinery, the operational headquarters of Russia's Krasnodar region said on Wednesday.
The strike damaged refinery equipment, one port berth and five homes - windows were broken in four apartment blocks and a private house - the Krasnodar operational headquarters said on the Telegram messaging app.
Tuapse in the Krasnodar region lies in southwest Russia on the Black Sea and about 350 km (218 miles) to the nearest parts of Ukraine’s mainland across the Sea of Azov.
The refinery blaze was put out after burning about 300 square metres (3,229 square feet), it said, but the authorities did not provide details on the extent of the damage to the oil refinery's equipment or whether operations were halted.
Tuapse is one of Russia's key Black Sea outlets for oil products, anchored by Rosneft’s export-oriented Tuapse refinery, which has capacity to process about 240,000 barrels of crude oil per day and supplies products such as naphtha, fuel oil and diesel.
The port and the refinery have been hit repeatedly by Ukrainian drone attacks during the war that Russia launched nearly four years ago, with past strikes reported to have sparked fires and at times disrupted operations.
Several Ukrainian media, including the RBC-Ukraine media outlet, posted photos on Telegram appearing to show a large fire burning in the distance at night, with a communications mast silhouetted in the foreground.
There was no immediate official comment from Ukraine about the attack. Reuters could not independently verify the report or the extent of the damage.
SHOT, a Telegram news channel with sources in Russia's security services, said a series of explosions was heard late on Tuesday in Tuapse.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast.)
A refinery is an industrial facility where crude oil is processed and transformed into useful products like gasoline, diesel, and other petrochemicals.
A drone attack involves the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strike a target, often used in military operations to minimize risk to personnel.
Equipment damage refers to physical harm or destruction of machinery or tools, which can lead to operational disruptions and financial losses.
Oil products are derived from crude oil and include fuels like gasoline, diesel, and heating oil, as well as lubricants and petrochemical feedstocks.
A port berth is a designated area in a harbor where ships can dock to load or unload cargo, crucial for maritime trade and logistics.
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